Monster school reform bill stalled – for now

The state House is only a couple hours away from a session deadline to pass House bills – and a major school reform bill appears to be in serious limbo.

HB 400 would give school districts flexibility to deal with massive budget cuts by allowing them to increase class sizes. Teachers also could be forced to take unpaid days off along with pay cuts.

“HB 400 is going to pass. It has to,” House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, said two hours before the deadline. But he has been cryptic about his intentions.

Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, asked House leaders about the status of HB 400 with a little more than 90 minutes before deadline. Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, presiding at the moment, informed him that three postponed bills rank ahead of HB 400 – virtually assuring it won’t come up for debate.

House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands

Some GOP leaders have encouraged Eissler not to push the controversial measure tonight because it certainly would attract multiple amendments and chew up the rest of the clock heading toward the midnight deadline.

The result would guarantee many other bills dying before the deadline.

GOP leaders suggested that Eissler look for Senate bills next week that he can use to amend portions of HB 400.

Eissler has attempted to bring the bill to the House floor several times but saw it knocked down on “points or order” because of procedural defects.

School boards and administrators want HB 400 as a way to cut expenses in the face of up to $8 billion in public education costs.

Teacher groups vigorously oppose it.

During debate last week, Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, argued passionately against the plan, which he called the “downsizing and dumbing down” of public education in Texas.

But Eissler defended HB 400 as a way to “allow our schools to operate more efficiently.” It also would free school districts from a variety of unfunded mandates.

Current law does not allow school districts to reduce teacher pay or furlough them. They can only fire them, which budget cuts would guarantee.

“This is a ‘save teachers job’ bill,” Eissler told his colleagues last week. “And don’t forget that.”
House and Senate Republicans have approved budget versions that could cut public education funding by more than $8 billion from discretionary grants and the basic school finance system.

“The reality is we have to downsize the education system in the state of Texas because we are electing not to pay the tab,” Turner complained.

And that’s because the state’s GOP leadership refuses to pull more money out of the state’s $9.4 billion rainy day fund, he said.